(Washington Post) - The "road map" may have been doomed from the beginning by the problem of Mr. Arafat. It is obvious that he will never renounce violence against Israel or agree to a final peace settlement with a Jewish state. And pro-peace Palestinian leaders such as Mr. Abbas are not yet strong enough to sideline him. Mr. Abbas did little to encourage Israeli confidence. Though he forthrightly denounced terrorism, he shrank from the job of dismantling the terrorist cells of Hamas and other extremist groups. Instead, he lapsed into the familiar Palestinian strategy of demanding that Washington pressure Israel.
2003-09-09 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive